Artwork
Standing Woman in Profile
Standing Woman in Profile is a crayon drawing by the Romanticist artist Homer Dodge Martin. It dates from 1866 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Standing Woman in Profile is a drawing executed by American artist Homer Dodge Martin in 1866. Rendered with black crayon on a sheet of gray‑blue paper, the work presents a solitary female figure viewed in profile, captured in a simple yet deliberate line.
Technique & Style
Martin employed a single black crayon to delineate the figure, allowing the tonal quality of the gray‑blue support to influence the composition’s mood. The drawing’s economy of line and restrained palette reflect the artist’s interest in direct observation and a modest, almost documentary approach to portraiture.
Context
Created shortly after the Civil War, the piece emerges during a period when American artists were increasingly exploring personal and domestic subjects. Martin’s choice of drawing as a medium aligns with the mid‑nineteenth‑century practice of using quick, portable materials for studies and intimate works.
Artist & collection
Artist
Homer Dodge Martin (October 28, 1836 – February 12, 1897) was an American artist, particularly known for his landscape paintings. Examples of Martin's work are in many important American museums.
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